Social Media Warfare

We find ourselves existing in the apex of an era defined by around-the-clock judgment and ridicule, social media warfare and anonymous attacks on one’s character. Our nation’s citizens, which the Founding Fathers believed were a virtuous group, take every opportunity now to demean other people for their values and beliefs. It seems that a hateful message from a lunatic with a pitchfork always awaits us the next time we connect to WiFi.

MLK said it best: “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

Come on y’all, we’re better than this.

I recently took a trip to Harvard’s highly-esteemed art museum. For hours I admired the creations of some of history’s brightest and most complex minds, and it hit me.

Monet and Degas’ perception of art may be completely different from mine, just like my interpretation of the meaning behind a sculpture may sound totally different than yours.

But you know what? That’s OK. If Edgar Degas lived in today’s hateful online cesspool, I certainly wouldn’t @ him  and tell him why his oils on canvases of young ballet dancers are stupid. That wouldn’t make him happy, nor would it make me proud of myself either. America’s most enticing freedom is that we are all entitled to form our own thoughts and opinions on any matter, but it doesn’t mean we have to hurl insults at those who disagree with or upset us. We all have different definitions of beauty, and that’s what’s beautiful about life. What’s not beautiful, however, is demeaning others.

One’s life trajectory mirrors that of the house-building process. To construct a house, you first lay the foundation. Then, you install floors and place the walls and build the roof. You now have all of your absolutely essential components to prevent the home from caving in.

But let me ask you this.

After doing all of this work, what would happen if a random person just started smashing holes through the walls and floorboards?

So the next time the urge to spread vitriol on social media overtakes you, remember that people can’t build their dream homes if someone like you constantly seeks to tear it down.

Be better.

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